The Torch and Other Tales

The Torch and Other Tales, by
Eden Phillpotts

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Title: The Torch and Other Tales "Santa Claus"; The Returned Native;
John and Jane; The Old Soldier; When Fox Was Ferryman; Mother's
Misfortune; Steadfast Samuel; The Hound's Pool; The Price of Milly
Bassett; The Amber Heart; The Wise Woman of Walna; The Torch;
"Spider"; The Woodstock; The Night-Hawk
Author: Eden Phillpotts
Release Date: April 30, 2005 [eBook #15737]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
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THE TORCH AND OTHER TALES
by
EDEN PHILLPOTTS
Author of Tryphena
New York: The MacMillan Company
I. 'SANTA CLAUS' II. THE RETURNED NATIVE
III. JOHN AND JANE
IV. THE OLD SOLDIER
V. WHEN FOX WAS FERRYMAN
VI. MOTHER'S MISFORTUNE
VII. STEADFAST SAMUEL
VIII. THE HOUND'S POOL
IX. THE PRICE OF MILLY BASSETT
X. THE AMBER HEART
XI. THE WISE WOMAN OF WALNA
XII. THE TORCH
XIII. 'SPIDER'
XIV. THE WOODSTOCK XV. THE NIGHT-HAWK

No. I
'SANTA CLAUS'
Nobody knew where Teddy Pegram came from or why the man
ordained to settle down in Little Silver. He had no relations round
about and couldn't, or wouldn't, tell his new neighbours what had
brought him along. But he bided a bit with Mrs. Ford, the policeman's
wife, as a lodger, and then, when he'd sized up the place and found it
suited him, he took a tumble-down, four-room cottage at the back-side
of the village and worked upon it himself and soon had the place to his
liking. A most handy little man he was and could turn his skill in many
directions. And he'd do odd jobs for the neighbours and show a good
bit of kindness to the children. He lived alone and looked after himself,
for he could cook and sew like a woman--at least like the clever ones.
In fact there didn't seem nothing he couldn't do. And his knowledge
extended above crafts, for he'd got a bit of learning also and he'd talk
with Johns at the shop-of-all-sorts about business, or with Samual
Mutters, the chemist, about patent medicines, or with butcher or baker
concerning their jobs, or with policemen about crime, and be worth
attending to on any subject.
His pleasure, however, was sporting, and not until he'd dwelt among us
a good bit did a measure of doubt in that matter creep into our praise of
the man.
Round about fifty he might have been--a clean-shaved, active chap,
five feet three inches high, and always bursting with energy. He had
grizzled hair and a blue chin and eyes so bright and black as
shoe-buttons. A hard mouth and lips always pursed up over his yellow
teeth; but though it looked a cruel sort of mouth, nought cruel ever
came out of it save in the matter of politics. He was a red radical and
didn't go to church, yet against that you could set his all-round
good-will and friendship and his uncommon knack of lending a hand to
anybody in his power to serve. But he was up against the Government,
and would talk so fierce of a night sometimes at the 'Barley Sheaf' that

Ned Chown, the landlord, who was a true blue, didn't think so well on
Mr. Pegram as the most of us. Friends he made, but hadn't much use for
the women, though he declared himself as not against them. He was a
bachelor-minded man by nature, and yet, what ain't so common in that
sort, he liked childer and often had a halfpenny in his pocket for one of
his pets.
Mrs. Ford, however, he regarded as a great and trustworthy friend, and
her husband also, for, from the time he lodged with them, they all
agreed uncommon well, and Joseph Ford, the policeman, was high in
his praises of Teddy from the first. He happened to be a very radical
thinker himself, did Joseph, but, as became his calling, put law and
order first; and you felt that the newcomer agreed on that matter and
didn't want to do anything contrary to the constitution, but just advance
the welfare of the under-dog by proper means; so Joseph said there was
no fault in the man and praised his opinions.
In truth Teddy Pegram appeared to be a very great stickler for the law
and held it in high respect--so